


del mar

by mother_of_lions



Series: The Melee [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Merman!Elyan, Mildly Dubious Consent, but merlin is okay with it i promise, merman!Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mother_of_lions/pseuds/mother_of_lions
Summary: Elyan and Merlin are mermen.That's it.
Relationships: Elyan/Merlin (Merlin)
Series: The Melee [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2093841
Comments: 11
Kudos: 21
Collections: The Melee Challenge





	del mar

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Merlin Fic Server Melee  
> Week One, Prompt: School
> 
> Yall I don't even know what to tell you.  
> This is a half-formed idea of something that I want to come back to later.
> 
> The Mild Dub/Con is because Elyan doesn't really ask, but Merlin is cool with it, I promise

There it was again. That odd flash of metallic purple, deep in the water. 

He’d seen it every day for a week now, always at the end of his morning dive. Once or twice he’d seen it during a lesson, but never more than a quick flash of scales, the end of a large tail. Merlin wished he would see it when he actually had time to go after it, to figure out what kind of strange, new aquatic animal was lurking off the shores of San Juan. 

But for now, Merlin had a diving lesson to teach.

The last of his students had finally gathered their belongings and vacated the small shack that served as Merlin’s shop and office. Freya, his one employee, a local girl who filled in as a receptionist, had already left for the day, leaving Merlin to close up on his own.

He was just hanging up his diving kit when a thought struck him. The beach was nearly empty, the tourists finally leaving to do other things and the waters were calm and clear.   
Taking his gear down, Merlin shrugged out of his clothes and put his wetsuit back on, rushing to make the most of the remaining late afternoon sunlight.

Standing on the deck of his tiny boat, Merlin spared a moment to regret not telling anyone where he was going. Too late for that now, though. Pulling the goggles over his eyes and tucking the respirator in his mouth, he stepped off the side of the boat and plunged into the warm Atlantic water.

The first few moments after entering the water were always a little disorienting. Merlin floundered for a slightly embarrassing moment, finally getting the right way around. Allowing himself to sink, he took a moment to look around, watching the fish flit around him. When he had reached the depth that he normally saw the purple flash at, he began moving through the water, making his way towards a large reef that could serve as cover.

He swam over it, searching the colorful coral for flashes of purple. He reached the other side, feeling disappointment settle into his gut. Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as he could tell. 

He passed over again, giving it one last try before he’d need to return to the surface. Looking up, he had a scarce second to brace himself as a school of fish engulfed him, some of the larger ones smacking his arms with their tails. Turning to watch them, he didn’t see the hunter until it was too late. A lionfish, in hot pursuit of the school, darted past him, its spines dragging over the exposed skin of his hand and forearm. 

Intense, throbbing pain shot up his arm, forcing a gasp out of him as he doubled over his arm in a useless effort to protect it. Nearly all of the spines had pierced Merlin’s skin, and he could practically feel the poison coursing through his veins. Forcing himself to move, Merlin pointed himself in a general up direction and kicked his legs, hoping to make it to the surface before he passed out.

Merlin never made it.

The surface of the water was in view, he could see the clouds and the fading light just as he felt consciousness slip from him, everything fading to black as his body was overcome by pain and poison.

An undeterminable amount of time later, he jolted awake, feeling himself turned on his side by warm hands as he coughed up half the ocean. Getting his breath back, Merlin propped himself up on his elbows, coughing weakly and pushing himself into a sitting position. His arm throbbed, and his throat burned from the salt and the coughing but he forgot about that entirely as his eyes found the man – creature? – that had saved his life.

The water droplets clinging to the mans dark skin glinted in the soft moonlight, followed by bright, intelligent brown eyes framed with long, thick lashes, that watched him in turn. Feeling himself blush, Merlin tried to avert his gaze, but found it drawn back to the man’s chiseled torso, the moonlight catching the rivulets of water running down his chest and making them glitter, like something out of a dream.

Yes, that’s what was happening. Merlin was dreaming.

The waves washed up around them, making Merlin shiver in the cool air. The man’s brow furrowed in thought for a moment before his face lit up with an idea. Rubbing his hands together, he breathed into them and touched Merlin’s leg, suffusing him with warmth.

“Quien tu eres?” Merlin breathed in awe, wondering where this magnificent, beautiful man had come from. His fingers itched to reach out and touch, to lick the saltwater from his brown skin, feel the tang on his tongue.

The man’s brow furrowed again, staring at Merlin’s lips. Bringing his hands up in front of him, he made rapid gestures, meeting Merlin’s eyes expectantly. At a loss, Merlin shook his head.

“Los siento, no comprende. Hablo español o ingles.” He pointed at himself. “My name is Merlin.”

Pointing at Merlin, then himself, the man went through a series of signs, frustration clouding his face the more Merlin didn’t understand. Huffing in frustration, the man grabbed the sides of Merlin’s face, giving him only a second to be surprised, before kissing him square on the lips.

It was a brief kiss, merely a warm press of lips, but Merlin felt bereft as the man pulled away, feeling himself lean forward as if to follow him. 

Sitting up, the man kept his eyes closed for a moment, a small smile hovering on his lips. Opening his eyes, he broke into a full smile, speaking in a smooth, lilting voice. “Hello, Merlin. My name is Elyan.”

Merlin could only stare, baffled. 

“Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. You were dying, so I saved you,” Elyan explained, unhelpfully.

Finding his voice, Merlin asked dumbly, “You saved me?”

The man, Elyan, smiled, revealing a set of pointed, white teeth. “I did. I’ve been watching you for a while, actually, and it’s lucky that I was. Lionfish are nasty creatures.”

Merlin nodded and looked around for a moment before noticing a significant lack of something. Hanging his head and covering his face with his hands, he groaned. “Fuck, I lost the boat.”

“I can get it,” Elyan assured him, but made no move to leave, instead leaning on one hand and watching Merlin with a predatory glint in his eye.

“Um, right.” Getting slowly to his feet, Merlin looked around, finding his oxygen tank and respirator nearby in the sand. Elyan watched him from where he was sprawled in the sand, his lower half still covered by the water, hidden in the dark. “Where did you say you were from?”

“I told you, I’m from the sea.”

“Right. And by the sea, you mean,” he gestured vaguely at the water.

“Precisely.” A splash drew Merlin’s attention back down to the water, where a large, purple fishtail curled over Elyan’s back.

“Oh,” he breathed, and promptly fainted.

When he woke again, the sun was glinting harshly off the water. Groaning, he sat up, shielding his face from the sun and looked around. Had he been out here all night? Shit.

Standing, he brushed the sand off and picked up the oxygen tank again, slinging it over his shoulder. Ruffling his hair to get the sand out, Merlin started his trek back to the city. A loud splash made him stop, and he looked back out to the ocean.

There in the water, dark, chiseled torso standing out from the clear water, was the man from last night, Elyan. 

Without thinking, Merlin waded out into the water, the desire to be with Elyan overwhelming him, making him heedless of the rising water.

Elyan held out his arms to Merlin, wrapping him in a strong hug. Looking into Merlin’s eyes for a moment, he smiled, pointed teeth glinting in the sun. He pressed his lips to Merlin’s for a long moment, long-fingered hands stripping him of his wetsuit. 

When Merlin opened his eyes next, they were even further from shore, the ocean a vast expanse around them.

“Come back with me,” Elyan whispered, his voice lulling Merlin into a sense of complacency. He nodded, smiling back at Elyan and leaning forward for a kiss.

“I have to teach a class, though. The school,” he protested halfheartedly, more to make himself feel better than anything.

“They’ll be fine,” Elyan assured him, his voice low and sweet. “Ready?”

Merlin nodded, not quite sure what he was agreeing to. Elyan’s hands slid up Merlin’s neck, stroking the pads of this thumbs across Merlin’s sharp cheekbones. Leaning forward, he pressed another kiss to Merlin’s lips before pulling back and covering Merlin’s mouth and nose with his hand and pushing him under the water.

Under the water, Merlin froze, the shock wearing off quickly. His lungs began burning, desperate for air. He clawed at Elyan’s torso, trying to kick at the thick, purple tail swishing slowly under the waves. His vision quickly began to darken, his limbs becoming heavy and dead. 

Drifting under the water, Elyan removed his hand from Merlin’s face, wrapping an arm around his waist and cradling him close, running his fingers through Merlin’s curls. “Just another moment, amor, and you’ll feel better.”

Baring his teeth, Elyan bit down on Merlin’s neck, just above where it joined the shoulder, pushing his venom into Merlin’s bloodstream. Releasing him, Elyan pulled back and stroked Merlin’s back, waiting for it to work.

Merlin’s body jerked under the water, shaking as the venom did its job, transforming Merlin’s lungs to breathe under water, his legs fusing together and sprouting scales. A few more moments, and Merlin’s eyes snapped open, now an iridescent blue filled with a vertical pupil.

He surged forwards, bringing Elyan into a fierce kiss. Elyan chuckled against his lips, hands drifting down to Merlin’s hips, stroking the skin where it faded into scale. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but thank you for trusting me.”

Merlin purred, tailfin bumping Elyan’s. Taking his hand, they swam around each other, spiraling through the clear water. Together, they took off through the water, heading towards a new life.


End file.
